


a december engagement

by forestmagicwithin



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F, elsamaren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:14:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21608875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestmagicwithin/pseuds/forestmagicwithin
Summary: A small, three-chapter look into Elsa and Honeymaren’s future as a couple (and more importantly, as themselves).
Relationships: Elsa & Honeymaren (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 299





	1. Chapter 1

_Twenty-seven._

Frowning, Elsa pushed on, rowing the ice-boat harder into the fjord. The dawn, slim but bright, continued to insist on growing over the horizon. She ignored it, guiding herself farther and farther out into the water.

_Twenty-seven_. Twenty-seven, twenty-seven. It was a terrible number, Elsa had decided. She was tempted to just keep going, to row out as far as she could go, to follow the trade routes she’d had memorized for over a decade now and just go. It was an old temptation, although not necessarily one she’d grown impartial to.

Behind her, the castle would be sleepily reaching for shoes and schedules. Busy hands would be flipping through lists of preparations, sharp eyes would be inspecting and performing second and third checks- she didn’t even want to imagine what the kitchen would be like. And somewhere, a red-haired little sister would be sleeping in, overtired from her long night of planning for today.

_Twenty-seven_. Twenty-seven on the twenty-first. She was sure she hadn’t always hated her birthday, especially in recent years. Generally, it has always been the ones that came in threes that she’d disliked. Twelve, fifteen, eighteen- those had been the difficult ones. Twenty-one was frightening, as the year she knew her coronation would finally take place, but.

_Twenty-seven_. It frustrated her.

She did go back. She had to; Anna would’ve killed her if she’d missed her own birthday. Anna was twenty-four now, the same age Elsa had been when she’d abdicated. Queenship suited Anna far better that it ever had Elsa, and she’d grown into a loving ruler in a very short time. She made hard choices when necessary, but found creative solutions in places Elsa would never have even thought to look. Kristoff, her Prince Consort, made everything easier on her, Elsa thought. Two years of marriage, and they were still so strong together.

Marriage. Wonderful. The very thought she’d been trying to avoid. A word more insistent than _Twenty-seven, Twenty-seven_.

Everyone expected the royal family to start the imminent new year off with an engagement. With only ten days left to work in a proposal between her birthday and Christmas and New Years’ Eve, Elsa still had no idea where to start. She’d never been good at large gestures, especially not ones so... emotional. For Anna, she could manage it, but romantic love felt so much more personal. She couldn’t begin to imagine how to express it so candidly.

Honeymaren, for her part, had also been dancing around the subject. She and Elsa playfully competed in conversation about who would beat the other to proposing, although that kind of talk only ever seemed to happen for others’ benefit. Murmured hints and whispered teases, waggling fingers and active tongues, had followed them all year. People elbowed each other and winked at the couple whenever they were in public, and there’d been a day when half the city was swept up in the belief that they’d seen Maren with an engagement ring, despite the fact that she never wore any rings of any kind.

Which reminded her of the special necklace she’d commissioned for Maren. Beautifully carved wooden charms and beads surrounded a small pendant, in which were inlaid a tiny sapphire with a half-moon emerald circling it. It had seemed appropriate at the time; she and Maren had never exactly been conventional. But searching through the Ahtohallan memories for proposal ideas, she’d become uncomfortably aware of the royal tradition she’d be breaking.

Bad enough that an Arendelle royal would be the one asking for another’s hand (although to be honest, she was fine with breaking that rule, as rulers likely did all the time). But not having a ring as their symbol of unity? Especially considering the castle’s collection of engagement and wedding rings stretching back two centuries- how would it look, to break that historical line with wood on a woven chain? Especially if they were married with real rings- the questions just got too complicated from there.

So she’d had an actual ring commissioned. It was rose gold, with the same sapphire and emerald pattern, and a thin circle of wood around the jewels. It looked clunky, and by now she’d been through three different redesigns, finally settling on a simple emerald with tiny sapphires surrounding it. The rose gold would look nice on Maren- she just hoped Maren would want it.

Deciding where and how to do it was still her biggest struggle. She had three different ideas, each varying wildly from the others. One happened at night, one in early morning, one at sunset. One in the castle gardens, one in her mountain castle, one in their little tree bungalow. Was it even proper to propose in the morning? How late at night was too late? What if Maren said no, and everyone in the castle could see it happen?

That last concern was only anxiety, she knew. Shaking herself from her worries, she turned her boat back towards Arendelle. She and Maren would be together- that was certain. They were certain. They’d talked about their lives together as though there was no doubt- and really, she’d never had a doubt. It felt too right, being with Maren. All they needed now was the right push to reach that altar. And Elsa was determined to be the one to do it.

Still, she was scared. 

She was twenty-seven and unmarried. She was Arendelle’s eldest daughter, beautiful and intelligent, magical and masterful, and still her hand was bare. But whether it was today or next week, that would change.

. . .  
_At the dock, a small figure sat,_  
 _knees drawn up to her chest._  
 _In her hand, a small object rolled_  
 _over and over; for a moment,_  
 _the rising sun caught its shine,_  
 _white gold reflecting into a grey sky._


	2. Chapter 2

Honeymaren paused at the door to Elsa's room. Or rather, Elsa's _and_ hers. It was a new set of rooms, beautifully decorated in auburn and peach, periwinkle and lime green, celebrating the forest and their own duality. She smiled, leaning against the doorframe and watching the icy windchimes in the window spin gently, reflecting colored sunlight on the floor.

It wasn't home, but it was more than enough, whenever they stayed here. They'd be staying for the rest of the month this time, through the New Year celebrations for Arendelle. The Northuldra had their own traditions, but she'd have all of next month to celebrate them. Elsa might even be celebrating with them this year.

Yelena and most other Northuldra had warmed to Elsa incredibly since she'd first begun living in the forest. She was still not accepted as one of them, and likely never would be; Maren didn't dispute that. But she could be part of her family, Maren and Ryder's family. She thought of her brother's nagging hints towards the traditional Northuldra proposal, the eyes of the other women at her sewing for the coming wintry months, noting that no wedding clothes were made. Maren ignored all of this. She'd given them no sign that a proposal was coming anytime soon.

At least the Northuldra were subtle in their prompting. Arendelle society was a nightmare of gossip and opinion. Elsa held her hand always, protecting her as best she could from feeling pressured. There had been an understanding between them, that nothing need happen unless they wanted it to.

With this latest spin of rumor, however, that was changing. The most prominent one currently was that Elsa had been consulting with a jeweler lately. She had no idea if this was true, and as they rarely discussed the rumors, she'd never asked. She trusted Elsa, anyway. If she decided it was time, then Maren certainly had no argument. There was nothing keeping them from a wedding.

What she understood less was how to show she accepted, beyond a simple "yes". She couldn't exactly share ownership with Elsa's reindeer to demonstrate their partnership, because Elsa didn't have a reindeer. Maren did. In Northuldra society, it was an unspoken assumption that she would be the one to ask.

Maybe they could both propose. That certainly sounded like it would even things out. But going to Ryder- or anyone- for help in orchestrating one felt... a little like giving in. Like accepting that this thing everyone wanted to happen was finally going to happen, as it always would have.

And that shouldn't be a problem- Maren _loved_ her people, after all, loved her heritage and Northuldra culture, the way they lived and the reindeer they lived with, she loved all of it. Tradition was in her blood. She remembered growing up, looking forward to her own wedding someday, dreaming about proposals and wedding clothes and the three-day celebration. It was a part of life that she'd wanted to have, a rite of passage she'd wanted to go through.

Elsa was inherently _un_ Northuldra, though. Her mother may have been part of them, and she participated as much as possible in Northuldra life, but nothing about their relationship or lives going forward would ever be part of the heritage Maren had always assumed she'd continue. What they had was new, special, different. She wanted every symbol of their journey to reflect that; she was proud of it.

And what was Elsa expecting? Arendelle royal weddings must be a big affair. If it was anything like Anna's coronation, it would come with nearly a hundred foreign guests, not to mention the Arendellians that would flock to the city from all over the kingdom. How would they feel about Elsa marrying a Northuldra?

She knew they'd figure it out together, whatever "it" ended up becoming. They just would, as they'd always done.

"Honeymaren!" Anna's voice rang through the hall. She turned, smiling at the Queen. "Hey- hi, sorry, are you busy?" Anna latched on to Maren's arm easily, beaming when she shook her head. "Great! I wanted to show you something- or give you something, really. It won't take long."

Anna hesitated, the look in her eyes softening. "It's... something I've been thinking about for a while, actually."

She led Maren down to one of the halls that celebrated the past rulers of Arendelle. Small relics of theirs were encased in glass boxes framed in wood beneath their large, overbearing portraits. A blank space on the wall marked where King Runeard and Queen Rita's portrait had once resided. Elsa had insisted it be taken down.

"Here," Anna said, walking in front of her and turning at one of the cases, a small key poised over the edge. It was Queen Iduna and King Agnarr's case. "I wanted... hold on, let me get this right." She thought for a moment, then nodded and looked back up at Maren. "My parents were not perfect people. Most of their mistakes were my father's fault, but the ways that my mother accepted his choices also sucked. Or- they were bad, sorry. But she was still an amazing mother, and Elsa's connection to her is really powerful. I mean, I loved Mama too, obviously, but she basically formed a whole new way of relating to Elsa, with all the rules and no physical contact and everything."

Fiddling with the case as she unlocked it, she continued. "One of the things about my parents that was the greatest before my accident when we were younger was how much my father let my mother dictate her choices. When he proposed to her in private, it was with a bit of twine he'd been playing with in his fingers." She smiled, her hands stilling on the case's edge. "I'm sure she kept it somewhere. But anyway, she said yes, and then he let her design her own ring for the public proposal. They made their wedding bands together, which... we don't have, obviously... but she stopped wearing this a couple of years after the accident."

She held up a ring. White gold softly reflected the little light in the hall, while a lavender stone in the center captured the rest. Anna's eyes were full of memories locked in history, and the new beginnings she hoped to see.

"If you're going to ask- if you're ever going to ask, I mean, it doesn't have to be now- but I just wanted you to know. If you're going to ask her to marry you, it should be with this."


	3. Chapter 3

Hand in hand, step by step. Bare feet beside booted ones, their walk to the gardens was an eternity and a moment, infinities and seconds, their footprints nearly a dance in their mingling. A blonde head nestled close on the other's shoulder, her arm holding close to Maren's.

It was sometime around eleven at night, Elsa knew. They'd left the Christmas party early, sneaking through a large window and ducking beneath a balcony, to share kisses and smuggled chocolates. Elsa's giggles had been successfully stifled by Maren's kisses, until she'd forgotten she'd ever been laughing at all. Now was the moment. This was where it had to happen.

Maren had no struggle keeping her heartbeat even. A river flowed through her, serene and constant. Arendelle's Christmas ball was more beautiful than their previous year's, glittering in gold and green. Ryder hadn't come this year, and she'd thought she would miss him, but her eyes had been too full of Elsa to truly notice his absence. She'd never looked more beautiful, her soul in perfect harmony with the way her eyes carried jokes and secrets to Maren with every glance, the way her cheeks glowed after dancing, the way her hair fell freely and how her hands ghosted over Maren's hips and shoulders with each new ballroom glide. There was no reason to be nervous at all, she'd realized. She could never stop loving her.

Crimson skirt russled over golden pants, all made from magic, beside traditional leather garments in beige. A pause in their footsteps; a hitch of breath from one. Anticipation rose between the two, suspended between the stars and two women in love. Two rings, tucked away on two persons, awaited their reveal. Two questions, one question, an infinite amount of questions to span a lifetime together, sat neatly behind two pairs of lips.

Everything in Elsa that knew of courts and tradition and royalty hummed, telling her that this was the time. It was the perfect setting, the perfect night. Maren was far too wonderful, far too intelligent and funny and caring, to deserve anything less than perfect, and this was it. No more holding back- she had the ring, after all. It was now. Their lives would begin right now, as soon as she asked, as soon as Maren's eyes lit up in that extraordinary way. She already knew the answer; there was no true question, really.

No hesitancy caught at Maren's throat as Elsa looked at her. She wasn't wondering what Elsa was expecting, wasn't waiting for an answer she'd never needed to ask for. She could've asked a thousand times before, in a thousand other beautiful ways. She could ask now, in the midst of another incredible night. She could ask again and again, over and over. She could ask any day or every day, and she would never truly be asking, never have to really wonder. It could happen now or it could happen never, and nothing would change.

Two minds together, reaching a place they'd long since arrived at. A conversation, unspoken and loved, and then lips and hands and whispered words. Two queens, two souls, two spirits, finding each other yet again, meeting in every way. A pale hand on a warm cheek, and finally, finally, a question.

"Maren," Elsa whispered, unable to hide her smile. "I love you."

"Elsa," Maren replied, warm hands taking Elsa's cold ones. "I love you so, so much."

They felt the weight of the rings hidden on them. As Elsa reached for hers, Maren reached for her own.

In the silence of the garden's night, they looked at them, white gold beside rose gold. They cupped their hands together, watching the way the moonlight caught the stones.

"What if we just skip all this," Elsa whispered. She traced a finger against the white gold ring, recognizing it. "We don't really need it, anyway."

Maren met her eyes, blinking slowly. "What, forget all the gossip and expectation, just... drop the traditions?"

She let Elsa bring their hands together, so that they held the rings between each other's hands. Elsa kissed Maren's cheek, then the warm hand over her own. "What if we put these away someplace, and keep doing what we're already doing." Her arms came up to wrap around Maren's neck, her eyes never leaving Maren's. That same smile couldn't stop hovering around her lips. "Maren, I love what we have so much. I love you, I love our lives, I love never being afraid. I love our freedom together. I want to hold your hand for the rest of our lives, with nothing in between them."

Maren couldn't resist; she leaned forward and kissed her. "Yes," she whispered against Elsa's lips. "Yes, yes, yes."

Two sets of feet left the gardens sometime later. Sometime later, a necklace was placed around a neck, with the hands that put it there pulling gently on it to bring the other in for a kiss. Hands held sometime later knew that they would never need be bound by jewelry or tradition.

And Elsa and Maren lived, sometime happily later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god I love them so much


End file.
